So, you want to know more about me?...
CFI Dawson?
"Dawson, there are old pilots and bold pilots, try to be one of 'em who gets to be old like me"
- My Grandfather Doyle Tubb
~ Howdy folks
CFI, CFII, MEI and Tailwheel Champ Lover!
Dawson here!
My mission
I am a pilot but also many other things. I am not one of those pilots who has only aviation as their life and passion. I did not come from a family of aviators and am not one of the lucky ones blessed with the money, connections, or a family Cessna to make the journey a breeze.
Aviation is expensive, time consuming, and often frustrating but for those who truly love it, there is nothing more rewarding than making your first solo landing, passing a challenging checkride, or seeing your students achieve a dream.
My mission as a flight instructor is helping those who have a love for flying without abundant means to facilitate our dreams.
My journey
I took my first flight in a general aviation airplane at age 20. As an only child of rather protective parents, I had logged and paid for almost 20 hours before I told my parents I was even taking flying lessons. At the time I was a business major and knew I hated formal education, but it was what you’re supposed to do, right? Two years into college and only 25 hours into my training, I knew I wanted to fly for a career, but how was I going to pay for it? I worked after school and on weekends saving every penny and was only able to pay for 20 hours in almost 2 years.
Well, off to google I went! After some research and talking with my instructor at the time, I knew a big box name school with financing available was the only way I would ever be able achieve my dream of becoming a full time pilot in the next 30 years. So, I left my final class at university in 2022 knowing I would never be back again; best decision of my life.
In October 2023, I finished my flight training with my commercial multi engine, CFI, CFII, & MEI FAA certificates and have been instructing independently since then.
What makes me different?
For more than half my life, I have been figure skating at the national level and teaching now for around 5 years. I found out quickly in my training to become a flight instructor that my skills as an elite level skating coach greatly help me communicate complex topics and relate to my students on a much better level than my colleagues. My love of teaching my passions of figure skating and flying allow me to excel at helping students achieve their dreams while I share my love for aviation.
Learning to fly is not a group project, it is a private lesson. Unlike most instructors and student pilots, I have received and taught thousands of private lessons. I know how to relate complex topics to our everyday lives in a one-on-one teaching environment, and I honestly have a blast doing it!
Unlike other instructors, I was a teacher long before I began flying and have a blast building my time as an instructor. My young commercial pilots obtain the CFI rating only as a stepping stone to a career away from teaching. I chose to become a CFI because I love teaching and flying equally.
A few of the boasty bits...
– Commercial Airplane Single Engine Land
– Commercial Airplane Single Engine Sea
– Commercial Airplane Multi Engine Land
– Certified Flight Instructor Airplane Land
– Certified Flight Instructor Airplane Sea
– Certified Flight Instructor Instrument Airplane
– Multi Engine Instructor Airplane Land
– Tailwheel, High Performance, Complex